On Tuesday, the State Department updated its travel warning about Mexico, and Minnesotans planning a trip there should take note. Quintana Roo — the state that includes Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Cozumel, Riviera Maya and Tulum — has seen a rise in drug-related crime since last year.
The previous travel warning had no advisory in place for the state. The new version notes an increase in homicide rates and reads, "While most of these homicides appeared to be targeted criminal organization assassinations, turf battles between criminal groups have resulted in violent crime in areas frequented by U.S. citizens. Shooting incidents, in which innocent bystanders have been injured or killed, have occurred."
The same ominous wording was added to the information about Baja California Sur, which includes Los Cabos.
The number of Mexican states registering some degree of concern has risen to 23. Read the warning.
Cancun has taken a public relations hit in the past few weeks. In July, the State Department asked U.S. travelers to beware of tainted or substandard alcohol after several U.S. citizens had become ill, and one died, after consuming drinks at Cancun and Playa del Carmen resorts. This information is found not in the travel warning, but in the general information on Mexico, in the "safety and security" section.
Contact Travel Editor Kerri Westenberg at travel@startribune.com; follow her on Twitter: @kerriwestenberg.
